Today, as many as 30% of the Earth's inhabitants live without access to electricity. Thus, there is a worldwide demand for reliable electric power generation. However, conventional electrification in many parts of the world is unaffordable by the local population, especially in regions where the population is distributed over significant distances without adequate means of transportation. Additionally, electricity generation is often a major source of pollution and damage to the environment. An example is the rapid industrialization of China, substantially through coal-burning power plants. The use of coal has resulted in China being the largest Greenhouse Gas emitter in the world, a record achieved in less than 50 years! The impact of the pollution is felt worldwide, but especially near the coal-burning power plants where it affects the health of both humans and animals. Chinese suffer from pollution related illnesses, damage to crops, fouled rivers and streams.
Applicant's River-In-Stream-Energy-Conversion (RISEC) Cyclo-Turbine Power Generator (CTPG) is novel and unique in that, when properly configured, can successfully operate in waters of unlimited depth, or in very shallow and slow-moving rivers. When the turbine is mounted so that its long axis is parallel to the water's surface, and perpendicular to the water's direction of flow, the CTPG can generate pollution-free electricity, even in water as shallow as one half of a meter (½ m) with a flow rate of 1-2 meters per second. This shallow water capability makes thousands of streams, rivers, and tidal sites useful for electric power generation and offers a new source of electricity to millions of people around the world. In addition, the CTPG operating in rivers, streams, canals, and tidal areas can produce energy levels adequate for many small communities and industrial plants with zero pollution. Conversely, CTPG systems operating in deep waters can deliver megawatt output and on a cost per watt basis that rivals conventional hydro electric plants.
The CTPG also overcomes a variety of environmental concerns, eliminating the need for new dams, river locks, fish ladders, and hydrocarbon power plant cooling ducts and cooling stacks. Additionally, it requires little or no infrastructure, is typically secured in place by simple rock anchors or augers and tensioned cables, or in some cases where the generators are light and portable, ropes, cables or the like are attached to ‘deadman’ anchors on the shoreline of a river or stream. To facilitate installation, the system can be suspended from floatation equipment anchored in the flowing medium. The turbine can be installed with blades mounted horizontal to the flowing water's surface, or vertical (90 degrees) to the surface.
The submerged system is typically invisible to the casual observer, and does not disrupt the aesthetic characteristics of a waterway. The system is essentially silent, thus avoiding complaints of acoustic disturbance and avoiding disruption to wildlife habitat and breeding in areas near the installation site.
The CTPG also incorporates an Active Debris Guard to reject debris to reduce debris retention on the guard, reducing the need for debris guard cleaning and increasing overall power production. Further, the debris guard precludes entry into the system inlet section by fish, mammals, and curious humans, thus reducing the potential for injury to these species.
The CTPG can bring power generation to places where no useful RISEC power could be generated before. Governments, the military, private enterprise, and individuals may avail themselves of this non-polluting power source.
The prior art includes U.S. Pat. No. 4,609,827, issued Sep. 2, 1986, to Richard E. Nepple, and gives a detailed description of the operation of a Cycloidal Turbine. However, Applicant's CTPG system provides new features not found in previous renditions. These new features include the use of advanced flow control, a variable geometry inlet, easier installation via buoyancy enhancers where heavy equipment is not available, enhanced debris guard, enhanced fish safety and reduced maintenance associated with reduced parts count.